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I think we can probably start to ask some serious questions around our political funding rules.

There is some coverage emerging internationally over this government's lack of leadership around the NZ First Foundation. It wasn't helped by the fact the Prime Minister was overseas, and when she heads to places like Australia they focus on us and what's going on here.

Two themes emerged. One, too many of our political parties have issues around funding. Two, the Prime Minister won't do anything about it.

It's only just March of election year, and already we have SFO charges in court over Jami-Lee Ross and donations to the National Party. The SFO is looking into the New Zealand First foundation. And the SFO is looking into the funding of Lianne Dalziel in Christchurch.

You can toss in the Vernon Tava accusations last week if you like. Not in the same league given he's barely a party, but hardly an example of above-the-board operation if the claims are accurate.

Now, if the SFO comes out in the Dalziel case and the Peters case and says nothing to see, and the charges against Ross and his mates don't stand up, then maybe it's a storm in a tea cup. But what is clear, is that the rules are open to at the very least some large question marks.

The trouble is, if you accept things look potentially shady, what do you do?

Or could we argue that the system we run isn't perfect but at least there are checks and balances in place to call out and deal to those who break them?